Happy Birthday to You Terri!!!

Terri is a fascinating goal setter and dream maker, a true inspiration to people who want to make THE WORLD  a better, kinder and nicer place, so I say to you...may you continue to inspire and find new and wonderful goals to make this world a better place, Terri and

H A P P Y       B I R T H D A Y!!!

A search on the Internet found this article (which Terri could probably have written).  If you want to read the rest of it, just click on the first line...

"When it comes to manifesting our dreams and accomplishing our goals, there are three vital components that deserve our attention. Before we get into that, ask yourself the following question:

Am I actively moving in the direction of my goals and dreams each and every day?

Everybody has dreams and most people have goals. If you want your goals and dreams to become reality, you must move toward them consistently and purposefully. By nature, we always begin with distance between where we are and where we want to be. Our job is to narrow that distance until it no longer exists. To accomplish that, we need to draw our goals and dreams closer to us, while simultaneously moving toward them.

Some people attempt to attract their goals without taking much action. Others choose to act on their goals, but without the added advantage of also drawing those goals to them. Action alone can bring positive results, but it is much faster to combine the two techniques.

For the sake of clarity, let’s differentiate between dreams and wishful thinking. In some conversations, the two might be interchangeable. Not so in this case. When I talk about dreams, I am really talking about highly desirable goals. Future realities that we fully intend to realize. For our purposes, a dream is something that we are willing to work toward, and are determined to manifest, just like a goal."

It's always important to end with a smile, so hope this brings one to your face, Terri and that your day is wonderful in all ways.  May the Good Lord bless and be with you always.

~~~Thank You dear Lord for the blessings of friends to inspire and guide us on our journey of kindness.

Here's to the BIRTHDAY GIRL...HAPPY BIRTHDAY DI!!

Di has never been shy

To let us know

Where she would like to go.

So here's a beach or two

For a friend so true...

Are you looking for some townhouses on the beach Di?....

Or maybe a more secluded spot where you can set up your own little tent?...

Uh oh, found these guys listed as beach creatures...maybe they're just stopping by to entertain Diana?...

How's this spot, complete with a colorful beach towel?....

Here's a nice fixer upper house on the beach...what do you think, Di?....

Can't tell what's in between those trees and making it bigger only makes it grainier so Di will just have to go investigate...

It looks a little windy here, but Di, remember you are from the windy city...

Are you picturing yourself doing this?.....

Or do these chairs look more inviting?.....

How about a little island all to yourself (Jake can come along too if he's being a good boy!)......

Uh oh...watch your food or these guys will swipe it....

Ah, yes, beloved beach glass just for you...something I had never heard of till Eileen let me see the light!....

Okay, now here's all your Village friends dropping in to see you....

Guess you'll be pretty surprised when you see this photo I snapped of you getting ready for your trip to the beach!!!  You are styling girl!!!.....

Well I searched and searched for some cute beach jokes and could only find these, so they may be a little corny or pitiful but they are nice and CLEAN (guess they were washed by the beach or washed up on shore or just beachy keen jokes)!....

What did the pacific ocean say to the atlantic ocean?

Nothing, they just waved!

************


Why couldn't the sailor play cards on his boat?

Because someone was always sitting on the deck.

***********
What does stuck seaweed say?


"Kelp! Kelp!"
***********

What did the fish use as a cell phone?

A Shell Phone!
************

What do you find on a small beach?


Micro-waves!
************
What do you call a woman with sand paper on her head?

Sandy!



~~~Heavenly Father, Son and Holy Spirit thank You for the blessings of good friends celebrating the special day of their birth and our ability to make them smile!

Morning has broken...HE IS RISEN!!!!

IT IS SUNDAY AND THE DARK CLOUDS OF SADNESS ARE BROKEN...THE WORLD IS NEW FOR JESUS HAS ARISEN FROM THE DEAD....

May we all be wearing a HUGE smile today knowing we are so well loved...

No matter how rough or tough life gets, He had it so much rougher and tougher and LOVE won and always wins in the end...

Color some eggs, eat some treat, give a smile to a stranger for today is nothing but joyful!

So many things speak to us of new life...the very eggs that we admire in all shapes and sizes and designs...

As Michael and I travel down  (plenty of time for prayer on the over two hour trip) to see and celebrate Easter with my daughter Ria and her family, I will be praying for all of you to have and enjoy a truly BLESSED EASTER!!

~~~Dearest Lord and Savior, thank You for the blessings of Your incredible love...may we spread it in so many ways!

LOVE is The Good in Good Friday

Love IS the answer to all problems in one way or another.  LOVE is really only a verb...it has to be an action in order to be love...it is something that needs to be done, to be shown and WOW...did God ever show us what it means.....

Good Friday...hmmm I think it should be "What Love Truly is Friday"...the good part is all the good that has been given to us because "...He so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son..."

I will cry today...I always cry every Good Friday, being so amazed at what He did for us and so sad knowing how little we would do for Him, how many times we would fail yet how many times we would try and we would even succeed.  He fell three times and got up four...another lesson for us no matter how hard life gets for us....

Here's how one source explains Good Friday....

"We're all familiar with the acronym T.G.I.F., but there's only one Friday on the calendar that's earned the distinction of being called "Good Friday."

Judging by the name alone, most of us might deduce that Good Friday is a holiday that's both good, as opposed to bad, and is observed on a Friday. However, if you weren't raised in a particularly religious household, you may not be familiar with exactly what it is about that particular Friday that makes it such a "good" one compared with other Fridays.



From a religious perspective, though, the term "Good Friday" is a bit of a misnomer since it refers to the day on which Jesus Christ was crucified. As you might expect, it was a particularly bad day for Jesus' disciples and followers (Judas, I'm looking in your direction) and it's a rather penitent day for Christians today.



Theologically speaking, you could make the argument that Good Friday was necessary in order for Jesus to absolve mankind of its sins, but still the name Good Friday seems like a stretch. Couldn't it just as easily be called Sad Friday? Or Bad Friday? Or The Worst Friday Ever?



For clarification, I've turned to the A&E Network's chief historian, Dr. Libby O'Connell. According to Dr O'Connell, the term "good" in this case is simply "a mistranslation of the word 'holy.' Holy, of course, meaning sacred and sanctified, is translated from the Latin word Sanctus."



Generally speaking, the English translation falls a little short when recognizing the holiness of the occasion. "Easter," explains Dr O'Connell, "is the culmination of the Christian year, not Christmas. Good Friday is one of the most important days of religious reflection."



In most languages, the holiday we refer to as Good Friday is translated as "Holy Friday," which captures the spirit of the holiday a little more accurately."

He was lauded and sung to on Palm Sunday as a Saviour then they hung Him on a cross!!  People's praise of us is not so important...what matters is the love we give no matter what...the kind word in return for the crabbiness of a loved one, the gentle response to the rude person at the check-out counter or the doctor's office or the repair person etc. etc. etc.  These are only hard to do things NOT impossible....

Today is not a day for jokes but for loving reflection....... so remember this little thought when pondering about whether you are involved in your walk with Christ or committed in it!!...

" You know the difference between involvement and commitment don't you? In a meal of bacon and eggs, the chicken is involved, the pig is committed."

~~~Thank You dear Heavenly Father, Son and Holy Spirit for the amazing blessings we have received because of your LOVE through giving and giving and giving so that we might be allowed into Your kingdom, Lord!!

HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY WANDA!

Well, this downloaded this from my sample pictures so there is hope.

Mainly I would like to wish Wanda a very happy and lovely birthday and to thank her for the many, many beautiful posts she has shared.  Her posts are so well done and must take her alot of time for she makes them so perfect.  It is almost like going on a mini vacation when I go to read her posts and enjoy the fantastic pictures she has so carefully taken and included...it often feels as if I am in the woods with her or on her porch enjoying the sights of nature.

Thank you for bringing so much beauty into our world Wanda and may you be blessed with the happiest of birthdays!

Sending you love and God's blessings too.

At one point I was doing 'helpful hints on Tuesdays' so today's "hint" would be to remember your friend's special days and then remember their not so special days in some way too (a nice little surprise like a card in the mail, a phone call etc.)!

~~~Thank you Heavenly Father for the blessings of thoughtful and uplifting friends...may they receive many blessings themselves!

Another TRY to fix the problem

Now I have removed a lot of my widgets in hopes that will solve this problem, so I guess time will tell.  Michael seemed to think that one of them could have gone bad and caused problems so let's see what happens now!

My old camera took this photo of Kelly last July when I took her to the beach for her birthday...thought it might be appropriate considering the crazy things my blog is doing!...

My favorite this Friday would be a blog that stays open for everyone!

~~~Thank You Lord for the blessings of suggestions and for the effort of using them.

Testing ....1,2,3

I got into my blog FINALLY...so let's see if others can!!


May the Good Lord bless and guide all of you always!


~~~Thank You dear Lord for the blessings of fixed problems and fixed blogs!

Lent...A Time To Repent

Lent, A Time To Repent Reflect & Make Reparation!

Ash Wednesday, Feb. 17th begins the solemn 40 days of lent.

A time to reflect on our sins and weaknesses. A time to repent for the many ways we rebel against God on a daily basis!

It's a time of self-denial and sacrifice in reparation for the many ways that we fall short and offend God. A time to fast and abstain from some of the creature comforts and luxuries of our time, while focusing on the scourging, passion and ultimate sacrifice of Jesus on a crude, cruel and inhumane cross!

We focus mostly on our sins of commission, but Fr. Leo Clifford says that for every good deed that is done, there are 100 deeds left undone! The Bible reminds us that we will have to account for every idle deed and word-[Mt. 12:35-37]. Imagine that, we will have to account not just for every idle word, but for every idle deed, done or left undone! In St. James 4:17, it could not be stated more clearly, "Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins." St. James also tells us that "faith without works is dead" [St. James 2:26].

Not to be fear mongering, but straight out of the Bible, this is why we share this with you as we journey through, the Holy Lenten season. If you are not producing much fruit, this is a good time to reflect on whether you are doing what God has created you to do, especially in this time and place.

Proverbs 24:16 "Though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again ". Therein lies the crux of how diligent we must be in making the most of EVERY circumstance. How many times have we overlooked someone in dire need because we were too busy, or not listening to someone who's hurting, saying a kind word to someone who is down, gossiping behind someone's back, short changing someone, taking advantage of resources at work, failing to be "salt and light", and countless other ways that we sin by our acts of omission!

God is good in allowing us to change our lives and be the servants He created us to be. This life is a journey, a "flash in the pan". This is NOT our home. While we are here, we have to be busy about the Lord's work, we are to occupy, not just co­exist. The pagans are busy winning many souls to Hell, souls that God has put in our paths, souls that unless we reach out to save them, they may perish for all eternity!



The Lord waits for us much more than we wait for Him. In fact, when we do have to wait for Him, it's because He's waiting for someone else. So to keep from holding God back any longer, we should cooperate with God in those hundreds of things He intends to do now. Our disobedience is holding up everybody else. Repent of keeping God and humanity waiting.

As we journey through these forty days of Lent, we submit the following articles, not to be critical of our church, shepherds or fellow Christians. God knows the enemy is busy and rests not, but for us to reflect on the countless ways, we the majority, fail on a daily basis in positively affecting our culture for the better. Whether through laziness, fear or ignorance, none of these excuses will be allowed before God! So let's get busy, for the times are evil and countless souls are perishing!

Feed My Sheep, Feed My Lambs

The best way to purify the church and keep it pure-is to get rid of all the goats! And the best way to run the goats out of the church—is to feed them 'sheep food'. God's sheep will grow in grace under the preaching of grace—but goats will go hungry because they choke on 'sheep food'. They will soon leave and go somewhere else.

"Feed My sheep." John 2117

"Feed the flock of God entrusted to you. " 1 Peter 5:2

Getting Ready for Lent

If you can start the day without caffeine or pills,

If you can understand when loved ones are too busy to give you time,

If you can take criticism and blame without resentment,

If you can face the world without lies and deceit,

If you can relax without liquor,

If you can sleep without the aid of drugs,



If you can do all these things,

Then you are probably the family dog.

Marquee Sayings for Lent:

Don't wait for the hearse to take you to church.



It's hard to stumble when you're

down on your knees.



What part of "Thou Shalt Not"

don't you understand?



A clear conscience makes a soft pillow.



The wages of sin is death.

Repent before payday.



Never give the devil a ride.

He will always want to drive.



Forbidden fruit creates many jams.



Christians, keep the faith...but not from others!



Satan subtracts and divides.

God adds and multiplies.



To belittle is to be little.



Don't let the littleness in others

bring out the littleness in you.



God answers knee-mail.



Try Jesus. If you don't like Him,

the devil will always take you back.